The sounds led Stephanie away from the shore and toward a large cluster of rocks. There was more than one cat there, of that she was certain. Maybe a mother cat had hidden her litter somewhere within. They liked to raise their kittens in secluded places and she used to help the gardeners on her family’s estate search for cats who had recently given birth. She had been quite adept at finding them.

And she would find these too … unless the girl heading toward the area from the opposite direction beat her to it. She must have heard the sounds too. Stephanie quickened her pace and when she reached the rocks, she saw a flash of bright orange fur that quickly disappeared into a crevice.

“I saw one!” Stephanie exclaimed, smiling at the girl, who looked close to her in age. “It ran away from me. It’s probably scared.”